Christie off list of White House chief of staff candidates

Catherine Lucey and Jonathan Lemire Associated Press Published 5:13 PM EST Dec 14, 2018 Washington – Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie took himself out of contention for White House chief of staff on Friday as President Donald Trump’s chaotic search for a new chief inched forward with the feel of an unfolding reality TV show. Christie cited family reasons in a statement saying that he was asking Trump to remove him from consideration. He had met with Trump on Thursday to discuss the job, according to a person familiar with the meeting who was not authorized to discuss it publicly. Christie’s departure is the latest twist in a search triggered when Trump’s preferred candidate to replace John Kelly bowed out. The hunt continued Friday, with frenzied speculation about a wide range of Trump associates. Trump said Thursday that he was weighing five possibilities. He met Friday with his 2016 deputy campaign manager David Bossie, who is seen as the current favorite by some outside allies. He also met Friday with Office of Management and Budget Director Mick Mulvaney to discuss the looming government shutdown. Mulvaney is said to be under consideration, though he has signaled a lack of interest in the job. Others who have also distanced themselves from the job include U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin. Trump senior aide and son-in-law Jared Kushner, who had also been the subject of speculation, signaled his lack of interest. A person familiar with the matter said… [Read full story]